After gaining independence, Ukraine began developing its own armored vehicles, which had not been produced on its territory previously. One area of development was the creation of new armored personnel carriers based on the BTR-80 design. This work was carried out by the Kharkov Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. In 2000, the bureau created the BTR-3U "Guardian", a joint project with the ADCOM Manufacturing Company Ltd. WLL from the UAE. This vehicle features a German Deutz engine, an American Allison transmission, and a KBA-105 "Shkval" combat module equipped with a 30 mm 3TM-1 autocannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, a 30 mm grenade launcher, and a 9M113M "Konkurs-M" anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). The APC was first presented at the IDEX 2001 international exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

The vehicle’s design continued to evolve and received several modifications. Export versions were created, including the BTR-3E, produced for foreign customers. One such version was the BTR-3E1, which is equipped with the BM-3M "Shturm-M" combat module. This module is armed with a 30 mm automatic cannon, a 7.62 mm KT-7.62 machine gun, a 30 mm KBA-117 automatic grenade launcher, and a "Barrier" ATGM. The BTR-3E1 is in service with Ukraine and the Royal Thai Army.

In 2007, Ukraine won a contract to supply BTR-3E1s to Thailand. Deliveries were carried out in several batches between 2010 and 2016. Afterwards, the vehicles entered service with the 2nd Infantry Division of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Between 2025 and 2026, the BTR-3E1 and the Oplot-T took part in the conflict against Cambodia.

The BTR-3E1 was introduced in Update 2.55 "Ninth Wave". Despite its resemblance to the BTR-82AT, the two vehicles are only similar in terms of mobility. The BTR-3E1's armament has changed significantly. The vehicle is now equipped with a 30mm ZTM-1 autocannon with APDS rounds for engaging lightly armored targets, a 30mm grenade launcher, and a "Barrier" ATGM with a tandem warhead for destroying tanks at long range. Drawbacks include the lack of an APFSDS belt and light armor protection.